really interesting thread
 

Over on the miata site in the non-miata section (they call it "car talk") someone posed the question, "I am replacing my NSX. I was ready to buy a 996tt, but then I drove a viper srt-10. Which should I get?"

I think you'll find the various responses very interesting.

996tt vs SRT-10 Viper thread

Nice thread! The A lot of the Miata guys seem to be sharp abot high-end cars. I expected a lot of Porsche bashing, but was suprised by the thoughtful responses......except for the guy with the Civic that was faster than Porsche or Viper...LOL.

one guy said, and I think I agree (Haven't driven an elise):

Hmm. I hope porsche is thinking up an Elise competitor, but perhaps there is too much money in luxurious pigs.

Lots of Miata guys are talking wanting to get Elises. Comes up again and again.

Lots of miata guys are as fanatical about weight savings and unsprung weight as Porsche guys. There are also some kids, but most of them are learning right instead of learning the way they would on a civic board.

blah

Miatas are remarkably quick little cars, aren't they? I mean despite the low-budget-midlife-crisis feel of the car, they can be turned into pretty capable machines, if I'm not mistaken. From what I've seen, Miatas are in fact largely driven by guys who are middle-aged and a bit balding -- more so even than the Porsche crowd. I'd figure it to be not the forum where you'd find little Honda-Hopper kids.


Dan

This response really made me sit up. I think he's right on, and it really illustrates where Porsche is going compared to where it has been:

I would be all over an Elise and hope to own one some day

I drove an Elise at a promotional club event up at Tahoe a couple months ago. It's a great-driving car, and more capable than my 911 by any measure. But you've got be be a serious contortionist to get in and out. I'm OK with a bit of contorion, but it was just over the top for anything other than a racecar, IMO. Spacewise, my 911 felt like a Cadillac after driving the Elise.

Miata's are chick cars. I know there are guys out there hot rodding their Miata's, but I bet 85% are driven by females.

I have driven a Viper, it was fun for the first hour, but then the heat and noise started to dimish the experience.

I'm saving up for my Porsche turbo.

There IS NO substitute!

I treat my 911 as a toy for the most part. If it is hard to get in and out of I don't really care. It must be fun to drive. As I said I want an Elise in my garage some day.

It will never replace my 911 but I want an Elise.

I'm amazed at the difference in the literacy rate between that BBS and this one. I did chuckle at this comment...

Reading past the illiteracy, is seems that the writers believe that driving a Viper will help them attract women. I guess I must have spent more time in life talking to women then he has, because the overwhelming majority of the women that I have met could care less what kind of car a guy drives -- although there is a subset who are impressed by an expensive car -- any expensive car. He seems to share the same image problem that many Corvette owners have about a coorelation between hood size and ... :rolleyes:

This comment struck me as searching for silver lining within the cloud...

The logic seems to be that the fact that a viper has beaten a Porsche on occasion means it must be a better car. Then I guess the fact that that Porsches have beat Vipers more often then not must make them...http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/spankA.gif

It does seem that a lot of the folks on that BBS were advocating or chosing cars based on what others thought of them rather then on value of the vehicle itself. I guess I'll never understand that mind set.

Personally, I just like my long-hood which is an absolute hoot to drive even with it's little 2.0 engine. :D